Acceleration clutch



May 23, 1950 A. HOLCOMB 2,509,061 ACCELERATION CLUTCH Filed Jan. 50, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR A. L. HOL 60MB 2 %(ac %W1d ATTORNEY May 23, 1950 HOLCOMB 2,509,061

ACCELERATION CLUTCH Filed Jan. 30, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

WVE/VTOR A. L. HOL 00MB ATTORNEY Patented May 23, 1950 ACCELERATION CLUTCH Arthur L. Holcomb, Tarzana, Calif., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New

York, N. Y.,

a corporation of New York Application January 30, 1948, Serial No. 5,452 5 Glaims. (Cl. 192103) This invention relates to clutches and more particularly to mechanical clutches designed to provide constant acceleration and deceleration independent of the load.

When distributors, and particularly those employed in the recording of sound, are driven by synchronous motors a difficult problem is encountered in providing a uniform rate of acceleration to the distributor shaft.

Various types of electrical circuits have been designed to overcome this difllculty but the results have been far from encouraging since the problem, in all such circuits, is that the final rate of acceleration is essentially the same just prior to reaching full speed. This rate is often of such a degree that the energy source in the motors, driven by the distributor, is suflicient to cause over-shooting and runaway when the drive motor suddenly arrives at synchronous speed.

When a combination of centrifugal clutch and fly-wheel is employed between the drive motor and distributor, the same condition exists but of course for a totally different reason. The centrifugal clutch, in its known forms, is difficult to operate so that it functions independent of the load applied since a clutch adjusted to be soft in performance with a light load will have a tendency to slip when operated with heavy loads or conversely when it is adjusted to operate with a heavy load it will accelerate a light load toosharply.

The clutch of this invention is designed to overcome the difflculties present in known clutches and provides a clutch structure which will have constant acceleration and deceleration independent of the load and contemplates a friction clutch mechanism, of the disc type, which is automatic in its action and which will transmit torque in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction and comprises a driving and a driven member. The driving member comprises a spider keyed to a drive shaft and having a plurality of friction elements mounted thereon by means of suitable studs. The driven member comprises a fly-wheel, freely mounted on the driven shaft and forming a housing for the discs which make up the friction elements of the clutch. The inn r spider which supports the driven friction discs 01 the clutch, is keyed to the driven shaft and has mounted thereon automatically controllable fingers which exert pressure of varying degree on the friction discs to automatically engage and disengage the clutch elements, depending on the speed and amount of rotation.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view in section of the clutch of this invention with its driving and driven elements shown in engaged position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, similar to Fig. 1 and showing the clutch with its driving and driven elements in disengaged position;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and illustrates the springs for controlling the operation of the clutch fingers;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. '1 and illustrates the normal position of the rollers, which operate the clutch fingers;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and shows a roller in its operated position.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a driven shaft I I) and a drive shaft II, the driven shaft Ill may be connected to a device to be driven (not shown) and the drive shaft II to a suitable source of power. A fly-wheel I2 is mounted on the driven shaft I 0 by means of a suitable ball bearing so that it is free to rotate with relation thereto. The fiy-wheel l2, as shown, is provided with an encircling sleeve member it which is secured to the outer surface thereof by means of the screws I5; this provides a housing for the elements which make up the operating mechanism of the clutch which will hereinafter be described in detail. An inner hub member 16 is keyed to the shaft I 0 at I! and has fixedly secured thereto a spider l8 which has keyed thereon a plurality of discs D having fabric facings F thereon. Pivotally mounted on the spider l8 at the fulcrum points l9, by means of the pins 20, are the clutch fingers 2i, as shown in Fig. 3. These fingers extend through the spider l8 and are joined together by means of the coil springs 22 which are secured to the outer or free ends '23 of the fingers 2|. As shown in Fig. 3, the springs 22 may be readily removed and replaced by a set of springs having a different tension, thus varying the amount of force applied to the discs D, D and F of the clutch mechanism. through the clutch fingers 2|.

The clutch fingers 2| are provided with extending portions 24, which project beyond the fulcrum points i9, in the direction of the freely rotatable fiy-wheel I2 and are provided on their ends with ball bearing rollers 25, which are free to rotate on the pins or axles 2|. The inner ends bftheextensionsflare whether the clutch provided with addustabie projecting studs 21 which are in contact with the face-of the clutch disc D and are locked means of the set screw 28. Mounted surface of the fiy-wheel 12, by means the screws 2! are the arcuate-shaped bosses which serve to confine the rollers '25 located on the extending portions 2 of the fingers 2| and when these rollers are centrally located in the arcuate portions of the bosses, as shown in Fla. 1, 8 and 4, the full tension of the springs 22 is applied to the discs D, D and MD through the medium of the clutch fingers-2|. However, any rotation between the clutch mechanism and the fly-wheel tends to move the rollers 25 either to the right or to the left (Fig. shows the roller 2' moved to the left) which causes the clutch fingers 2=| to be depressed against the tension of the springs 22 and releases the pressure on the discs D', D and MD, thereby causing the clutch tobedisen aged.

The friction element which is connected to the driving portion of the clutch mechanism and which forms part of the disc clutch structure, comprises the metal discs MID which are connected together by means of the studs 30, mounted on the spider 3i which in turn is keyed to the drive shaft I l by means of the key 32. Thus when the clutch mechanism is aligned with respect to the free floating fiy-wheel i2, as shown in Figs. 1, and 3, the full tension of the springs 22 isexerted on the clutch fingers 2| to produce friction between the friction discs D, D and MD of the clutch mechanism and the tension can be of such a degree so as to transmit any desired amount of 'po e? from the drive shaft II to the driven It is therefore apparent that any acceleration of the driven shaft ID will tend to displace the clutch fingers 2i with respect to the fly-wheel i2 since the inertia of the fiy-wheel l2 tends to oppose sudden changes in motion. As the clutch fingers 2| depart from the reference point, with respect to the fly-wheel l2, they are depressed by 1 through the rollers 25, against the tension of the springs 22 and release the clutch in this However, the springs 22 act as a restoring force which tends to accelerate the fiywheel l2 and restore the clutch fingers 2i back to their normal or central position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Thus the acceleration, which can be obtained from drive shaft II to the driven shaft II is a resultant of the inertia of the fiywheel l2 and the restoring force of the springs 22 and it is not materially eifected of the size or the bosses 29.

' inertia of the load on the driven shaft i0.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the action is symmetrical and thus is effective regardless of the direction of rotationand also regardless of is subjected to acceleration or deceleration.

A typical example of the operation of the clutch of my invention is as follows. The drive shaft l I, whichis part of a variable reluctance synchronous moto (not shown) accelerates to full speed in approximately one-half second. This sudden acceleration causes the clutch fingers 2i to be depressed by the fiy-wheel [2 before shaft II has been rotated far enough to seriously disturb the interlock motors connected to the distributor.

the driven erate the fiy-wheel l2, which in turn increases the friction of the clutch and the force which can be transmitted to the driven shaft ill.

The automatic adjustment of the clutch, i. e. that of a departure from the reference point which in turn reduces the clutch friction which limits the torque that can be transmitted to the driven shaft It, continues as a continuous process in which the inertia of the fly-wheel l2 and the friction of the clutch mechanism and the restoring forces of the springs 22 are all balanced against each other. Thus the rate of acceleration can be adjusted by changing the inertia of the fiy-wheel 12 or the tension of the springs 22. However, I have found in practice, that a considerable latitude of adjustment exists by the use of the springs alone.

while I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and I am only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

- 1. A clutch mechanism comprising a driving shaft, means secured on said driving shaft and having a pluralityof friction elements mounted thereon, a driven shaft in axial alignment with said driving shaft, a hub member fixedly mounted and means mounted on said spider in engagement with said bosses and said friction elements for causing the engagement and disengagement of the driving and driven shafts.

2. A clutch mechanism comprising a driving shaft, a disc member secured on said driving shaft, a plurality of pins extending inwardl from said disc member and having a plurality of friction elements mounted thereon, a driven shaft in axial alignment with said driving shaft, a hub member fixedly mounted on said driven shaft, a spider secured onsaid hub, a plurality of friction elements slidably mounted thereon in juxtaposition with respect to said first friction elements, a member rotatably mounted on said hub, a pinrality of bosses on said member and means mounted on said spider in engagement with said bosses and said friction elements for causing the engagement and disengagement of the driving and driven shafts.

3. A clutch mechanism comprising a driving shaft, means secured on said driving shaft and having a plurality of friction elements mounted thereon, a driven shaft in axial alignment with said driving shaft. a hub member fixedly mounted on said driven shaft, a spider secured on said hub, a plurality of friction elements slidably mounted thereon in juxtaposition with respect to said first friction elements, a fly-wheel rotatably mounted on said hub, a plurality of arcuate bosses 0n the inner surface of said fly-wheel, and means mounted on said spider in engagement with said bosses and said friction elements for causing the engagement and disengagement of the driving and driven shafts.

4. A clutch mechanism comprising a driving shaft, means secured on said driving shaft and having a plurality of friction elements mounted thereon, a-driven shaft in axial alignment with having a plurality of friction elements mounted thereon, a driven shaft in axial alignment with said driving shaft, a hub member fixedly mounted on said driven shaft, a spider secured on said hub,

a plurality of friction elements slidably mounted thereon in juxtaposition with respect to said first friction elements, a member rotatably mounted on said hub, a pluralit of bosses on said member, means mounted on said spider in engagement with said bosses and said friction elements for causing the engagement and disengagement of the driving and driven shafts, and means on said arms for maintaining the inner ends thereof in contact with said bosses.

ARTHUR L. HOLCOMB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,973,199 Conway Sept. 11, 1934 2,079,678 Chilton May 11, 1937 2,400,585 Wolff May 21, 1946 

